In the middle of a pandemic, Stereophile reviews ~ $30K equipment

erik_squires OP
After 24 hours, this thread has received about 100 replies, so what we can say for sure at least is that the subject is hotly contested.

Best,

E

>>>>>Thats’s a successful troll in my book. 🤗

I used to subscribe to Playboy magazine. I enjoyed looking at the pretty women much more than the less attractive ones although I knew I could never afford them.

😂😂😂

Erik,
You stirred 2 nests with one post. The diminishing return battle and the recently introduced pandemic war of opening up society. Individuals touting freedom and capitalistic winners against worry warts who espouse luxury is a sin. Broad strokes but lot of skirmishes and skinned knees to be had in between.  Not to mention our deluded ringmaster raising the temperature. 

 Gulp,

It may be challenging to find the only standmount- B 01-I refer to as simply spelling the Borresen-Acoustic.com web site is a daunting task.

I cut and pasted this:

BØRRESEN 012 way Compact Monitor Loudspeaker

This 2 way speaker will tell the story, playing with unbelievable power, musical richness and ease.

The beautiful finish with walnut veneer is flawlessly crafted and flows lightly on its stand, making the 01 a desirable furniture in all modern homes.

awarren poses an analogy which is pretty much the last word on why 
we need to drool. 
Well done sir!!

chorus,

Thanks,

I looked it up myself but google did not bring me to any "$32000 standmount speaker" so I thought I’d ask. I have never heard of BØRRESEN. Somehow, design of their floorstanders reminds me of Sonus Faber.

In case anyone is interested...

https://borresen-acoustics.com/index.php/the-speakers/borresen-01-2-way-monitor

EDIT: Hey, I am not that bad..."The Børresen 01 has a cabinet inspired by Sonus faber and utilizes the concept of minimum mass."

My answer to OP: I don’t care!
They’re just reviews.

It’s certainly no great revelation that there are expensive things in this world.
Let’s move on.

Hi End Audio is based upon fantasy and expectation bias. Welcome to the New Depression and the end (almost) of the Hi End!

Borresen? A bit late to the game! Magico's first speaker was a stand-mount that cost $29K/pair! Years ago! And it was on the cover of TAS, where Jonathan Valin gave it a drool-worthy review! 

roberjerman
Hi End Audio is based upon fantasy and expectation bias. Welcome to the New Depression and the end (almost) of the Hi End!

>>>>is there a Report Drama Queen button?

roberjerman
Borresen? A bit late to the game! Magico’s first speaker was a stand-mount that cost $29K/pair! Years ago! And it was on the cover of TAS, where Jonathan Valin gave it a drool-worthy review!

>>>>Is there anything Valin didn’t give a drool-worthy review to?

">>>>Is there anything Valin didn’t give a drool-worthy review to?"

Magic Pebbles?

Stereophile means nothing, nor does any Danish audio company really except Gryphon. But this subject touches on some social fundamentals. Quarter of the working people sit at home doing non-essential work that only increases the cost of everything and facilitates the further development of the surveillance state. They often get paid quite well. For what and by whom ? And essential workers without whom things would fall apart quickly are having quite a different reality, including very often but not always low pay and high risk of getting infected. They also became the reservoir of the infection along with some other groups. 
Yeah, I saw those pictures of crowds in Brooklyn, in Central Park and other places in NYC. Level of brain power and solidarity are incredible. What kind of music would you play to them ?

"...nor does any Danish audio company really except Gryphon."

No love for Ortofon? Still bringing something to those who can afford almost nothing.

On a non-audio note about Denmark. Cafeteria at Copenhagen Business School, managed by students of business school, went bankrupt.

https://cbswire.dk/spisestuerne-files-for-bankruptcy-70-staff-members-lose-their-jobs/

simple entertainment during quarantine, no more no less...inconsequential...and yes, I'm sure the review samples were received last year...

The reality of manufacturing high-end gear. Who’s able to buy and who cannot, if the buyers are the upper 10% with that kind of disposable income that they will build for. In this great hobby early day a normal Joe could afford to but gear, now if your a family of 2 kids or 3 kids, paying for their education and all the rest, car notes, etc. and you make $60,000-$80,000 a year do you think that family is going to say let’s buy a $20,000 audio system, which is bare-bones today, no they buy a streaming Sonus, sign up to a streaming service and stream music to their Sonus speakers.

I know of no one besides a hand full of audio friends who buy high-audio gear. In my family and inlaws that number 125 and counting no one has an audio system of any quality. All in one system and perhaps made a few hundred dollars for it, or old receivers, etc, No interest. The younger ones stream only and use their phones.

Now with the cost of living the middle classes shrinking, who are they building gear for well those who have the money to blow where the middle class does not they got families to raise.

So $20,000 preamps and other gear in reviews are called a bargain. If you look today the items that are marketed are for the very rich for the most part, then towards the lower middle class, discounts store for everything thrive while quality stores go out of business. It’s what people can afford and for 99% it’s not the audio gear, it that 65" TV for $1,000 or less.

Reading the audio reviews is just to pass time when you are talking $15,000 and up for speakers, preamps, and amps, not to mention cables and power cords that can cost as much as a new car. Point is someone is buying enough of them to keep those companies afloat, and folks it not the USA buyers its overseas. Many USA companies would not survive selling audio gear only to America, the survive from overseas sales where most of their sales are. What we are seeing is what is selling and what the manufacturers are designed for.

MD VA FL CT statistics for today look bad already and it’s not even lunchtime. Shut the cave door and back to pigmy country!

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

If you believe this, then you are miss-allocating your funds. $20K is not bare-bones, unless you are wasting a ton of money of audio jewellery and not things that will really make a difference, like speakers, room acoustics, a tolerable source and amp.

a $20,000 audio system, which is bare-bones today

Maybe when health care workers walk off the job people will get the message that this is not a joke?

geoffkait21,956 posts05-21-2020 11:42amMD VA FL CT statistics for today look bad already and it’s not even lunchtime. Shut the cave door and back to pigmy country!

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Yeah, I saw those pictures of crowds in Brooklyn, in Central Park and other places in NYC. Level of brain power and solidarity are incredible. What kind of music would you play to them ?

A nice dirge, perhaps?

Georgia just spiked today! Bad Georgia, bad! Come on guys, get it together.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

The politicization of the Covid-19 pandemic is astonishing...right wing nonsense, a "dumb and dumber" presidential embarrassment, and whining about your rights (you have no "right" to harm others) when clearly staying safe by avoiding crowds and wearing masks worked, and lowered new cases dramatically...so what do you do? Cave to the whiners and the cases go up...enjoy that crowded bar and get ready for that crowded hospital, 'cause that's where you're headed.

This subject (equipment costs) has come up many time here.  In my very humbled opinion, I see nothing wrong with very expensive equipment being reviewed.  Actually, to me, it is absolutely necessary for expensive equipment to be reviewed. 

If a company or person takes the time to do the research, engineer, design, construct, market and sell a piece of equipment, and places a high price on it,  that is that person's or company's right.  nothing is forcing us to purchase it.  At least not yet. 

This is the same for automobiles, trucks, airplanes (private), watches, you name it.  There is a low end, mid level and high end for just about anything.  And (shouldn't start a sentence with and), there will always be people out there that have issues with something at one of those levels. 

The very high end crowd has issues with low end equipment being reviewed.  "Why is that here?".  The very low or mid level crowd has issues with stupidly expensive equipment being reviewed.  Again, "why is that here?".

Sometimes it is fun and educational to read about very expensive equipment.  Trickle down technology does indeed happen in this industry.

What I have problems with are reviewers that make up their own language and I can't figure out what they are saying.  Or reviewing stupidly expensive equipment and saying that it is a bargain.  Or only reviewing stupidly expensive stuff.

Don't get me wrong, if you have serious money, you have to spend it on something.  So, people with high end stuff, like private jets, yachts, cars, watches, homes, etc.  you go!  That stuff has to be reviewed somewhere.

But regardless of whether it is reviewed, how many of us have purchased expensive equipment or cars without test driving it first?  Even used cars (this could be a very serious mistake without seeing it up close).  If a nearby dealer won't let me take a piece home for in-home demo, then I have a serious problem purchasing it from them.  In my home, in my system is the only real test.  But, I do understand that this can't happen for everyone.  

Now, if you heard up close the 30k equipment and thought it was junk or not close to what the reviewer stated, then I think your opinion counts to a larger degree.  If, however, you haven't, then that is another matter altogether.  

Most of our families, friends, associates, etc. would think we were absolutely nuts if they knew how much you paid for each piece, and, they wouldn't sit still long enough for you to explain it to them and your reasoning.  Tell the truth here.  To them, we are the nutty elitist.  And to some degree, they are correct.  To them, the level of music enjoyment we desire is crazy.  They probably listen to music as background music only, while doing something else, and couldn't care less about sound stage, etc.

Also, with regards to the virus issue, This is not like a cold or the flu.  Virus' are getting much nastier.  They are evolving to harder to detect and treat.  People have lost jobs, livelyhood, family members, lives.  This is no joke.  And as is many other cases, there are "know it alls" out there that as we used to say, "couldn't program a VCR back in the day", but their scientific opinion is supposed to matter. 

There's an old saying, "your right to smoke ends at my nose".

I for one, am not trying to catch this virus.  I don't want to be a statistic.  So, I'm not taking any chances and I don't associate with people that do. What are they going to say if they inadvertently give it to you?  I'm sorry, nope, they won't even know they did it, and they, nor your family will be able to see you.  People dying all alone in a hospital room??? that is really sad.

Back to topic.  If I had the money for an Audio Research REF 10  pre-amp, I would definitely get one, and I wouldn't tell anyone how much I paid for it, because they would think I was crazy.

enjoy

@jpwarren

You stirred 2 nests with one post. The diminishing return battle and the recently introduced pandemic war of opening up society.

Yep, I'm kind of a ninja this way.

E

Tempest in a teapot. They were reviewing $50K components and $100K speakers 20 years ago. Hel-loo! 

Nothing that Stereophile does in the future could make them any less viable than they are at present. 

Wolf.....give it a break. Nobody cares about either of our political opinions. 

Unfortunately most of the hi-fi press today do little more than serve as the advertising shop window of what is mainly high end audio.

Any attempt to purport to serious journalism disappeared decades ago. Never ever take the word of an audio journalist seriously.

They’re not bad people per se, but just hacks trying to hold down jobs on behalf of their advertising departments.

Treat them all as only advertising brochures and you can’t go far wrong.

Is there a Report Whiner button?

geoffkait,

How are the kids? The hottest news these days is the kids, not Georgia.

Stereophile? Six feet down, J. Gordon Holt is rolling. 

Frank

Speaking of hot, glubby, isn’t it time for your long cold shower? If that doesn’t work consult your physician. 

G. Gordon Holt? The guy from the Watergate breakin? 

geoffkait,

I am serious. It is about kids these days.

You are following the wrong🐄🐄🐄🐄.

In that case take your head out of your 🍑 No offense. 

geoffkait,

I am giving yiu the headlines. Literally. If you were not so stubborn, you could have been the first out there.

Except for some disapproving judgment implied by you I see no connection between the world’s economic events and Stereophile’s reviews of expensive audio equipment. Reviewing expensive audio equipment is Stereophile’s raison d’être in every economic environment.

So when is a good time to review $30K equipment?  

You’re giving me the headlines and I’m giving you the business. Everything’s topsy turvy. Me topsy, you turvy. Literally. 

I realize I haven’t kept up with every single thing but isn’t $30K considered entry level? 😬

WOW ! I might be new to this forum discussion but didn't a lot of us never thought that we would EVER be able to afford the gear we now treasure at home thank's to the grace of Audiogon & U.S. Audio Mart ! How did we hear about these products ? Stereophile , Absolute Sound and the like didn't we ? We all thought who would pay $200 for a .5 meter interconnect 30 years ago ? Now that may be in our systems ......and doesn't today's new technology filter down with time ! A computer use to cost thousand of dollars and now for $300 you can get a laptop better than one that cost $1,000 5 years ago ! Let's all take a chill pill during these stressful and trying times and reflect on how fortunate we all are ,pray for those in harm's way and sit back, stay calm and listen to music !

On the secondary topic of the pandemic, Americans are venturing out this weekend traveling to parks, traveling to relatives, traveling to beaches. Maybe you’ll see them. Bubus Americanus?

This may surprise you. Maybe not.

https://apple.news/AO0ns2QRtROmVsbxoGIKxNg

geoffkait,

I told you I give you headlines. Months ahead. Headlines, not headaches.

Mexico. Big freaking mess. Hopefully they’ve managed to seal off the borders.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/mexico/

I see our very own resident 'critic' could not resist chiming in and calling the writers of the review names and making personal attacks... instead of criticizing the work.  after all, no one can refute the pontifications of the person with the absolute best system (and best ears and brain) on this site.

valid comments about the gear... no problem.  Valid comments critiquing the review... no problem.  Calling names and belittling others... ugly

In Virginia 77% of all COVID-19 deaths are people 70 and over. So, you could say for everyone else COVID-19 is pretty much like a bad case of the flu. Agree, disagree?

Disagree.

As Jello Biafra (of Dead kennedy's fame) once sang "Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill The Poor" ... well, looks like CV-19 and dumb-ass politicians are doing that for us.
Also, in a much earlier posting, someone grumbled about "people who wear $10,000 watches don't do so just for the time" (or something like that). I must take exception to such a slanderous and malicious slur ... my watch cost $125000 (a bog-standard Audemars Piguet, nothing special) and it tells the time quite nicely thank you!